40
Indian Management Thoughts & Practices Indian Management Thoughts and Practice Concept Testing 1. Harmony with Environment With the help of YOGA, meditation man (manager) tries to purify himself within, tries to eliminate dust of anxieties, stress, and depression from his mind and tries to achieve tranquility so that he can work in present and with more concentration and achieve his targets efficiently. Thus practicing these activities he truly and only concentrates on his body and his work, but at the same time man cannot ignore the environment he is living in. As he concentrates on himself to realize his targets, he has to get harmonize with the environment for the same. He has to get adjust with the people around him, his family, his home, his office environment, his boss, subordinates, nature around etc. So that it would have positive impact on his actions, his mind, ideas will flourish in harmonized environment. He could also maintain healthy and natural lifestyle. Locating and shaping spaces in harmony with both the physical and the spiritual environment is required to empower the harmonious interaction between person and place. Harmonizing with environment will result into getting along with people, so that managers will not face any oppositions in his work, and thus will not get any pressures, depression, stress, jealousy, anxiety, overwork which are route cause of all negative happenings. 2. Self Control Self-control is the ability to make choices about how one behaves and acts rather than relying on impulses. Instead of acting on instinct or immediate impulse, individuals - with self-control pause and evaluate a situation and the consequences that may result from their behavior. By exercising self-control, you can learn to make appropriate decisions and choose behaviors that will be more likely to have positive outcomes. 1

Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Indian Management Thoughts and Practice

♦ Concept Testing

1. Harmony with Environment

With the help of YOGA, meditation man (manager) tries to purify himself within,

tries to eliminate dust of anxieties, stress, and depression from his mind and tries

to achieve tranquility so that he can work in present and with more concentration

and achieve his targets efficiently. Thus practicing these activities he truly and

only concentrates on his body and his work, but at the same time man cannot

ignore the environment he is living in. As he concentrates on himself to realize his

targets, he has to get harmonize with the environment for the same. He has to get

adjust with the people around him, his family, his home, his office environment,

his boss, subordinates, nature around etc. So that it would have positive impact on

his actions, his mind, ideas will flourish in harmonized environment. He could

also maintain healthy and natural lifestyle. Locating and shaping spaces in

harmony with both the physical and the spiritual environment is required to

empower the harmonious interaction between person and place. Harmonizing with

environment will result into getting along with people, so that managers will not

face any oppositions in his work, and thus will not get any pressures, depression,

stress, jealousy, anxiety, overwork which are route cause of all negative

happenings.

2. Self Control

Self-control is the ability to make choices about how one behaves and acts rather than

relying on impulses. Instead of acting on instinct or immediate impulse, individuals -

with self-control pause and evaluate a situation and the consequences that may result

from their behavior.

By exercising self-control, you can learn to make appropriate decisions and choose

behaviors that will be more likely to have positive outcomes.

1

Page 2: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

"Self-control is critical for getting along with other people. It's thinking before acting,

like looking before crossing the street. Self-control prevents impulsive behavior that

may have dangerous or negative consequences."

3. Dharma, Swadharma and Detachment

DHARMA: Dharma is the law of right living, the observance of which secures the

double object of happiness in your own life and also the happiness in others life. It

stands for all those ideals, purposes, influences, institutions, and the ways of life and

conduct that shape the character and evolution of man both as an individual and as a

member of the society. The openly spirit, righteousness (godliness), and fearlessness

are the three divine elements of Dharma given explained below:

Dharma is spirit (or evolves from spirit) in Indian ethos. The inclusion of dharma is

like rediscovering a vacant upstair room in one’s heat chamber. ‘Do right thing

(‘Dharman Chara), do good, be good and the whole chamber of our heart shines with

Light of Consciousness’. In dharma, not mere action but rightness is given great

emphasis.

Dharma stresses fearlessness. Divine touch is enough to convert difficulties into

opportunities. Of course one should know the truth about oneself. Dharma is the

‘inner law of one’s life’, the moment we are unconscious or ignore that inner law, our

life is paralyzed. We feel isolated. Our degeneration is sure. No wonder we feel

missing and incomplete. Dharma is ethics and spirituality combined. Follow your

Dharma and it will protect you or stand by you. One has to comply with his own

Dharma. Nobody has ever violated Dharma without ultimately courting disaster. Each

one has his/ her own dharma.

Dharma Of Management/ Organization

Each organization and management is considered by Indian ethos as a living entity,

having heart, soul and Dharma. The traits of dharma or integrity, e.g. Courage, self

discipline, goodness, righteousness and all other essential and ethical values constitute

the character of management / organization just as they are of the individual character.

They must follow their own dharma (collective heart/soul), otherwise pay the price. A

soul less company has no life. The spirit is the root or ultimate source of all values

and character, which are the invaluable assets of the credibility and goodwill of

individuals, organization and management.

2

Page 3: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

SWADHARMA: Gita emphasizes that Swadharma (one’s duty based on one’s

swabhava – inclination and aptitude – on the work that falls to one’s lot by virtue of

one’s placement in society) should be carried on for the general welfare of society and

as worship of Divine, as our offering to god. This call to work in the true Yajna spirit

is an exhortation to support and actively co-operate in the Divine’s evolutionary

design and to live with the mother earth, safeguarding her grand ecological balance.

results are an inevitable consequence of wrong Karma.

DETACHMENT: Detachment is the:

Ability to allow people, places, or things the freedom to be themselves. Giving

another person "the space'' to be him or herself. Disengaging from an over-enmeshed

or dependent relationship with people. Willingness to accept that you cannot change

or control a person, place, or thing. Developing and maintaining of a safe, emotional

distance from someone whom you have previously given a lot of power to affect your

emotional outlook on life. Ability to maintain an emotional bond of love, concern,

and caring without the negative results of rescuing, enabling, fixing, or controlling.

Ability to exercise emotional self-protection and prevention so as not to experience

greater emotional devastation from having hung on beyond a reasonable and rational

point. Ability to allow people to be who they "really are'' rather than who you "want

them to be.'' Ability to avoid being hurt, abused, taken advantage of by people who in

the past have been overly dependent or enmeshed with you.

What are the negative effects not detaching?

If you are unable to detach from people, places, or things, then you:

Will have people, places, or things, which become over-dependent on you. Run the

risk of being manipulated to do things for people, at places, or with things, which you

do not really want to do. Can become an obsessive ``fix it'' who needs to fix

everything you perceive to be imperfect.

Will most probably become powerless in the face of the demands of the people,

places, or things that you have given the power to control you. Will be blind to the

reality that the people, places, or things, which control you, are the uncontrollable and

unchangeable you need to let go of if you are to become a fully healthy, coping

individual. Might become caught up with your idealistic need to make everything

3

Page 4: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

perfect for people, places, or things important to you even if it means your own life

becomes unhealthy. Run the risk of becoming out of control of yourself and

experience greater low self-esteem as a result. Run the risk of losing your autonomy

and independence and derive your value or worth solely from the unhealthy

relationship you continue in with the unhealthy person, place, or thing.

4. Holistic approach to Personality

Ancient Greek and Indian wisdom and insight considered the human individual, a

unique living entity having self-consciousness and human self a complex of body,

mind, heart, intellect and spirit or soul. We have to pay equal attention to all the

aspects of human personality and consider him as a whole or complete being, having

practically unlimited potential energy and power to develop himself and acquire

perfection so that he can enjoy all round internal and external harmony and progress.

This is called holistic approach in self management and management of any

enterprise as well.

5. Dharmic Leadership

Dharmic Leadership at Work

In business organisation Dharmic Leadership means the torchbearers as to the ethical

practices to be followed by the subordinate. Dharmic leadership involves placing the

satisfaction of employees as a key goal and developing company policies and

processes around it. It involves creating an opportunity for employees to excel by

taking the time to place the best people for the job.

Based on love and a desire to uplift the quality of life for all, such leadership fully

empowers individuals. Employees have an opportunity to not merely pursue

economic gain, but to also contribute meaningfully from the depths of their being to

the organization’s success.

The new generations of leaders are not satisfied with wealth creation alone. The new

leader is wealthy, balanced and wise. She is not a slave to technology but masters it to

enhance the quality of life. She practices the fundamental formula:

The new leader seeks and promotes balance as a practical weapon to improve the

bottom line, enhance material prosperity and increase the speed of innovation over the

4

Page 5: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

long haul. Creating an environment that promotes balance will result in more

productive, fulfilling, loyal employees.

Our industry has several inspiring examples of leaders (and entrepreneurs) who have

created great wealth and opportunity, but we do not have many visible examples of

leaders who have done this with balance at a personal and organizational level. This

doesn’t mean, however, there can’t or won’t be, soon. Already, there are many such

visionaries in some not-yet-visible companies. For many long-suffering employees, it

cannot be soon enough.

6. Concept Of DIVINITY

This Awareness wishes to promote the spherical concept of Divinity in which the

entire sphere is filled with the Mind of God, the Consciousness of God, and It Is

everywhere; that entities need only to open themselves to be One with God through

surrendering to that vibration of frequency of the highest, and this Awareness sees this

as being a much easier concept to grasp, eliminating much of the extreme struggle of

climbing a pyramid, of climbing through the Ascended Masters, trying to work your

way up to be One with God.

This Awareness indicates that many entities in the world do not have a clear

understanding of their relationship with God, and many of these entities want to be

helped by someone whom they feel is closer to God than they are, and they see these

hierarchical beings as being above them, able to lift them, able to help them rise

above their own status or stature to become a little better than they are, and this, for

these entities, gives them hope, and they feel that they can improve, even if they

cannot be One with God. They feel that this improvement is possible, and this is the

extent of their belief.

Some entities cannot conceive of moving fast on the spiritual path. They are very

grateful to have a priest or someone, a higher being, an Ascended Master that they can

reach for to help them become better persons, and this Awareness indicates in this

way, yes, they can benefit from this, but this Awareness also suggests that the

Ascended Masters approach can become a burden and a hindrance compared to

retraining the entity to think in a different way; not to think of climbing a ladder or

climbing the rungs of spiritual development so much as giving oneself totally to the

Divine Consciousness that is everywhere present.

5

Page 6: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

If one can learn to surrender self to God, all the climbing, all the Ascended Masters,

all the work of becoming a better person through your effort and struggle becomes

meaningless. The total surrender itself is a single act that can be of great significance

in reaching higher levels of spiritual energy and evolution.

This Awareness indicates that once one has totally surrendered to God, it is then only

a matter of continuing your surrender so that you live in a state of surrendering to the

Divine from moment to moment. You are constantly surrendered to the Divine.

This Awareness indicates there are some entities that cannot perceive of this action,

and for them, the struggle is more real, and they may take the path of the hierarchical

approach.

7. Concept Of MAN

DEPENDING UPON THE INSTRUMENTS OF EXPRESSIONS OF LIFE MAN IS

DIVIDED AS FOLLOWS:

The Physical Man: Operates more at the gross level of the Body.

The Mental Man: Operates more at mind, thoughts and the emotional level. Right

brain more pre- dominant.

The Intellectual Man: Operates more through logic, analysis and discrimination of

apparent evidence. Left-brain more predominant.

The Spiritual Man: Operates at higher level of universal values.

Greater the integration between these personalities greater is the harmony in behavior

and higher are the performance levels.

DEPENDING ON DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EVOLUTION OF CONCIOUSNESS:

Stone Man: A stone is totally unaware of the external world of circumstances because

of minimum level of consciousness. You just exist. We should be aware of such state

of existence which does takes place once in while.

Vegetable Man: Very low level of consciousness but nevertheless higher than in the

Stone man. Able to look for your own nourishment needs without any movement.

Animal Man: Much higher level of consciousness signified by more developed

instincts and ability to certain level of communication and procreate.

Man Man: Highest level of consciousness in stimulus and response not only with

external but also very deeper levels of internal existence. Take off at higher level can

take place only from this platform.

6

Page 7: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

8. Concept Of KARMA

Karma means in Indian philosophy, a duty or Dharma in a given situation. Karma or

action or work is very natural for the MAN. Only dead body is non-working. The

purpose of work is to bring out divinity and to achieve growth and development.

Moreover, all work/ karma are to manifest divinity, hence these must be pure, good,

honest and sincere. Indian philosophy also teaches to perform every work without

having any attachment to result, as one should understand that every action produces

result and it is inherent in the action itself and is governed by the laws of nature and

one does not know all the laws which contribute to the results but one know that

THINGS function very systematically and in an organized manner in this universe

according to these laws. You are free to act/work or not to work or how to work. You

can plan, organize and build a good strategy to perform your work, but you cannot

control the result. Hence, accept, that result comes from the laws of nature/GOD. This

is also called the Vedantic View OF KARMA.

The GITA considers KARMA as DUTY or SADHNA. Action is to be performed by

dedicating it to the SPIRIT (Divinity) within. And whatever result/fruit comes is to be

accepted as the grace of GOD (PRASAD BUDHY) with equanimity of mind. The

cultivation of PRASADHBUDDHI towards the results of actions/work is KARMA

YOGA (the yogic science of doing work with samatwa or it is selfless work/service to

others). Nishkama Karma (fruits of work) is the result of doing your duty with

discipline and devotion without attachment to work and agency (egoistic pride) and

without calculations of gain or loss. The fruit i.e. Karma Fala is given as Prasad from

the Divine to develop the healthy attitude.

KARMA VADA is an ethico moral law of causation for regulating karma, which

includes thoughts (manasa), words (vacha) and actions (karmana). Thus, even a

thought wave of envy or hatred is karma, a cause, which will produce its inevitable

consequences in one way or another at some later point in time. If some one

knowingly cheats his organization for personal benefit, this too is Karma, a casual

force, with its corresponding backlash.

It is only the right that leads to good results like perennial prosperity and the wrong.

7

Page 8: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

9. Concept Of DHARMA

Dharma is the law of right living, the observance of which secures the double object

of happiness in your own life and also the happiness in others life. It stands for all

those ideals, purposes, influences, institutions, and the ways of life and conduct that

shape the character and evolution of man both as an individual and as a member of the

society. The openly spirit, righteousness (godliness), and fearlessness are the three

divine elements of Dharma given explained below:

Dharma is spirit (or evolves from spirit) in Indian ethos. The inclusion of dharma is

like rediscovering a vacant upstair room in one’s heat chamber. ‘Do right thing

(‘Dharman Chara), do good, be good and the whole chamber of our heart shines with

Light of Consciousness’. In dharma, not mere action but rightness is given great

emphasis.

Dharma stresses fearlessness. Divine touch is enough to convert difficulties into

opportunities. Of course one should know the truth about oneself. Dharma is the

‘inner law of one’s life’, the moment we are unconscious or ignore that inner law, our

life is paralyzed. We feel isolated. Our degeneration is sure. No wonder we feel

missing and incomplete. Dharma is ethics and spirituality combined. Follow your

Dharma and it will protect you or stand by you. One has to comply with his own

Dharma. Nobody has ever violated Dharma without ultimately courting disaster. Each

one has his/ her own dharma.

Dharma Of Management/ Organization

Each organization and management is considered by Indian ethos as a living entity,

having heart, soul and Dharma. The traits of dharma or integrity, e.g. Courage, self

discipline, goodness, righteousness and all other essential and ethical values constitute

the character of management / organization just as they are of the individual character.

8

Page 9: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

They must follow their own dharma (collective heart/soul), otherwise pay the price. A

soul less company has no life. The spirit is the root or ultimate source of all values

and character, which are the invaluable assets of the credibility and goodwill of

individuals, organization and management.

10. Concept Of YOGA

There is a lot of talk about yoga, nowadays. It is becoming a fashion to talk of yoga

and especially Integral Yoga. What does it ‘really correspond to in our head’ when we

speak of yoga? For most, both in the West and the East, it is primarily Asanas –

Hathayoga Asanas. For those who have read a bit the literature of yoga, make it their

‘final goal of life’. But Integral Yoga is not interested in these ambitions for power.

Integral yoga is done for the sake of the Divine – primarily and ultimately. For the

seeker of Integral Yoga, yoga is not the aim or goal of life – it is the only way to live,

the true way of life.

Aim Integral yoga is ‘the conversion of the human soul into the divine soul and of

natural life into divine living.’ Normally, the old yogas reject the lower nature, the

outer nature, but Integral Yoga wants to transform the lower – a total transformation

of our integral being into terms of God-existence.

Bhagvadgita defines YOGA (II 48) as evenness of mind, the tranquility of mental

composure in facing all the pairs of opposites. Work is to be performed without

having any kind of wrong imaginations, false expectations, and anxieties for the

results and fears for the future. In all these preoccupations we lose the immediate

valuable moments available to us to act and to strive efficiently and effectively to

achieve the desired objectives- therefore it is said, Act established in equanimity

abandoning attachment.

Just as an artist forgets everything-even himself while performing on his art, if

manager forgets himself in work, that he performs, his mind is said to be in YOGA.

He will not be anxious for the success or failure of his activity because he knows that

to worry fro the results is to worry for the future and to live in future is not to live in

present. It does not mean that one should not plan or think about future implications

9

Page 10: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

of current decisions. Instead it insists that do all things very sincerely well – in –

advance but when you start to perform the work, concentrate fully on that work only.

Therefore the LORD says in GITA that apply yourself to the devotion of action. The

LORD has also defined YOGA in another way. He says YOGA is nothing but

dexterity and skill in action performed with evenness of mind.

Harmony with environment

Harmony with environment is required to maintain a healthy, natural lifestyle, taking

responsibility for and control of their health and their life through natural healing

methods. Locating and shaping spaces in harmony with both the physical and the

spiritual environment is required to empower the harmonious interaction between

person and place. The colour and form (part of our environment) enriches the spirit

and soul, it stimulates an environment that contributes to the health and well-being of

the occupants. It's a home with a healthy indoor climate that allows the house to

breath, and the mind and spirit to flourish in an environment as free as possible of

chemicals. LIFE abhors silence. Its voice is not a cry; it is a song. In order to hear this

song, one must listen to the life that is within and without. Life teaches harmony and

brotherhood. Ultimately, the study of life is valuable if a human being acquires a

profounder conviction in the fact of universal brotherhood. It is spiritual knowledge of

the One Self and One Life within each and all that is the key to the mystery of life. In

order to acquire spiritual knowledge one must look within and without.

With the help of YOGA, meditation man (manager) tries to purify himself within,

tries to eliminate dust of anxieties, stress, depression from his mind and tries to

achieve tranquility so that he can work in present and with more concentration and

achieve his targets efficiently. Thus practicing these activities he truly and only

concentrates on his body and his work, but at the same time man cannot ignore the

environment he is living in. As he concentrates on himself to realize his targets, he

has to get harmonize with the environment for the same. He has to get adjust with the

people around him, his family, his home, his office environment, his boss,

subordinates, nature around etc. It would mean making some quite fundamental

changes in our attitudes towards each other, if we were really to think of ourselves as

indispensable elements of nature. So that it would have positive impact on his actions.

10

Page 11: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

His mind, ideas will flourish in harmonized environment. He could also maintain

healthy and natural lifestyle. Harmonizing with environment will result into getting

along with people, so that managers will not face any oppositions in his work, and

thus will not get any pressures, depression, stress, jealousy, anxiety, overwork which

are route cause of all negative happenings.

Need for hour is for the intuitive leader who can gather personnel round a shared

vision, which gives meaning to their work. Such a vision takes into account the inter-

relationships every management decision is bound to have today not only with the

immediate surroundings but also with the state of the world as a whole on account of

the increasing globalisation of the economy and of communications. Such a leader

will take into account not only the turbulence of the environment today, its

unpredictability and uncertainty, but also the innate inertia of the organization which

militates against its adjusting rapidly to the environmental changes. Therefore to

adopt changes, in order to be in accord with surrounding, Harmony with Environment

is necessary.

11. Concept Of ATTACHMENT

Attachment (RAGA) means wrong imagination, false expectations, daydreams about

the results of action, fears for the result, etc. One should remember while performing

an action that past is dead, future is yet unborn hence concentration on present fully

can only bring out excellence in performance.

♦ Descriptive Questions

Q.1 “ Cultural background and value systems mould the personality of an

individual”. Discuss with examples.

(And)

Q.3 “ Is there a conflict in the value system of east and west?” make a

comparative study.

Modern psychology regards human mind as a cluster of various desires for sensual

enjoyment call libido. All human actions, thought, purpose of life are attributed to

11

Page 12: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

libido. It becomes necessary to probe into unconscious or deepest inaccessible levels

of unconscious in which are the repressed impulses or memories. Man cannot obtain

knowledge of pure truth, not can lead he lead a purely exemplary or idealistic, noble

and spotless life. Human mind cannot free itself from bindings of memory or gross

lustful desires in the unconscious and sub conscious mind. At the root of man’s

inculcation of righteousness and adherence to truth lie a reservoir of unknown mean,

brute impulse. Idealism of righteousness is just a façade. They believe in suppression

or admission. Not in annihilation. Human civilization is the outcome of wholesale

repression or suppression. The fundamental postulates of Indian culture thoughts are

different. We have three great moral conceptions: dharma (morals & law), runa (debt

or social obligation towards Supreme being – the god), parents, language and to

humanity. And purushartha – dharma, artha and kaam. We that the whole universe is

the manifestation of the Supreme Being, which is permanent, all pervasive, without

beginning and without end, present in the finest particle of the atoms and at the same

time it encompasses the whole expanse of the universe. It is called by the name

Brahman. Brahman means great.

Q.2 Discuss the impact of Indian Cultural heritage on the youth today?

There are many diverse definitions of culture. The Assembly of First Nations defines

culture as the customs, history, values, and languages that make up the heritage of a

person or people, and contribute to that person's or people's identity. A concept of

culture must include specific reference points in the historical experiences of a people.

The social sciences provide the categories of investigation.

One area for consideration is the relationship between a society and its environment.

The society's economic lifestyles which are based upon resource development,

whether it be hunting, trapping, fishing, mining or mineral development, is also a key

consideration. Social structures and interactions affect education, family, and

community roles of individual members of the society. These, shaped by the

environment, often determine aspects of social life such as recreation, physical fitness,

moral, and spiritual development. Respect for nature and the individual are requisites

for a compassionate, tolerant, and healthy society.

12

Page 13: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

When people interact with nature and each other, they use tools, higher level thinking

skills and language. The Aboriginal peoples tend to perceive themselves in harmony

with nature while Euro-Canadian peoples tend to see nature as a resource to be

exploited for individual or collective gain. In modern times, the philosophies of

Indigenous peoples have been applied to problems of waste and pollution, giving rise

to environmental movements. The relationship between nature and humanity has

become a matter of life or death.

Four main components of culture may be said to include people, technology and

objects, relations, and institutions. A culturally sensitive curricula must respect these

aspects of a society and present them accurately, avoiding the pitfalls of

anthropological interpretation, bias, stereotyping, and racism.

A people's concept of themselves is the most valid form of group identity. Self-

determination is a struggle crucial to all societies. How the society meets this

challenge defines its cultural identity. The retention or loss of traditions, customs,

ceremonies, and languages will determine the identity and culture of future

generations.

The retention of traditional aspects of culture allows individuals and students to be

aware of their ancestry, and the value and accomplishments of their race, community,

and society. This historical and cultural awareness enhances the concept of self and

social worth.

Collective action, whether in a society, community, or classroom influences the

development of an individual's beliefs, actions, and social skills. Cultural and

community interaction is therefore vital if students are to develop fully their potential.

That potential strengthens and supplements all aspects of the culture of the student

and the society in which the student interacts.

What the individual then creates (products), or changes (processes), alters the

structure of society which may force evolutionary changes upon a culture.

Technology is the product, and politics, law, philosophy, ethics, the arts, and religion

are the processes of change. Cultures alter, depending upon how these products and

processes impact upon the individual and society. Interaction with these processes and

products may be positive or negative.

13

Page 14: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

It is the function of education, whether it be natural, cultural, social, public or private,

to ensure that interactions are positive and productive for the individual and society.

Thus Indian culture had influenced Indian youth.

Q.4 “ For achieving behavioral change, the core values of individuals have to be

addressed”. Discuss the statement in context of Indian organisations.

In Indian organisations individuals have forgotten their core values. The values of

faithfulness, simplicity, etc. and the behaviour in organisations today is very

materialistic, selfish. No one cares for others kind of attitude. People are hell bent on

pulling each other’s legs. It’s a rat race and everyone wants to be ahead of the other,

no matter what it costs. And today the need of the hour is a behavioral change in

organisations. Individuals should themselves understand the way they should work

and maintain harmony and efficiency at their work place.

Organisations themselves should take note of this deteriorating situation and try and

achieve behavioral change in employees by addressing the core values of individuals.

The organisations like Reliance, Tata, etc. can conduct sessions which will help the

employees in changing their behaviour as also will help them in taking review of the

follies in their behavioral pattern.

Q5 What critical aspects of the Indian ethos need to be imbibed by an

international company seeking to set up business in India?

Meaning of Ethos: characteristic spirit of a community comes out of traditions,

customs, beliefs etc not necessarily cognitive, but necessarily manifest in behaviour

and thinking. Oxford English dictionary defines Ethos as “The characteristic spirit &

beliefs of community/ people which distinguishes one culture from the other.” It is a

part of the psyche of the people in the community. Ethos has nothing to do with

ethics. Ethos may be behaviour that is not desirable, but it is behaviour that is normal,

spontaneous, unplanned. It is the result of the lessons (beliefs, values) that have been

stored in subconscious, from the variety of experiences from childhood onwards,

14

Page 15: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

discussions (criticizing or praising people or events) at home, epics & fables and

folklore.

Indian Ethos: Actually it is difficult to define Indian Ethos because India is a multi-

cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious. Behaviours differ considerably between

metropolitan cities & villages, between north, south, east & west, according to

different religious persuasions & a number of other factors that affect culture. Indian

ethos are drawn from the Vedas, the Ramayana, Mahabharat, the Bhagvadgita &

Upnishaad.

An international company wishing to set up a business firm in the Indian scenario

should first understand Indian ethos. Because management & managing people is an

integral part of any business. People behave & respond according to their ethos.

Understanding ethos helps obtaining satisfactory responses from people. Responses

become more positive if the practices are as per the ethos of the persons managed.

Thus the salient ideas & thoughts for Indian ethos in management that the intending

company should keep in mind are as follows:

Atmano Mokshartham, Jagat hitaya cha.

All work is an opportunity for doing good to the world & thus gaining materially &

spiritually in our lives.

Archyet dana manabhhyam.

Worship people not only with material things but also by showing respect to their

ever-present divinity within.

Atmana Vindyate Viryam

Strength & inspiration for excelling in work comes from the Divine, God within,

though prayer, holy readings & unselfish work.

Yogah karmasu kaushalam, Samatvam yoga uchyate.

He who works with calm & even mind achives the most.

Yadishi bhavana yasya siddhi bhavati tadrishi

As we think, so we succed, so we become. Attention to means ensures the end.

Parasparam bhavayantah shreyah param bhavapsyathah

By mutual co-operation, respect & and fellow feeling all of us will enjoy the highest

good both material & spiritual.

Q.6 Good Managers should be emotionally stable: (Comment)

15

Page 16: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

The rules of work are changing. We’re being judged by a new yardstick: not just by

how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle

ourselves and each other. This yardstick is increasingly applied in choosing who will

be hired and who will not, who will be let go and who retained, who passed over and

who promoted.

These rules have little to do with what we were told was important in school;

academic abilities are largely irrelevant to this standard. The new measure takes for

granted having enough intellectual ability and technical know-how to do our jobs; it

focuses instead on personal qualities, such as initiative and empathy, adaptability and

persuasiveness.

In a time with no guarantees of job security, when the very concept of ‘job’ is

rapidly being replaced by ‘portable skills’, these are prime qualities that make us and

keep us employable. Talked about loosely for decades under a variety of names, form

‘character’ and ‘personality’ to ‘soft skills’ and ‘competence’, there is at last a more

precise understanding of these human talents, and a new name for them: “Emotional

Intelligence”.

What exactly is this emotional intelligence? Actually speaking it is an art of

handling one’s own emotions and influencing others’ emotions. Every job differs

from the other. Thus emotional requirements for each job will naturally differ in their

perspective. Thus being emotionally compatible with the job is what emotional

intelligence means. Since for each job, requirements are different, there’s no standard

for emotional intelligence. In this fast changing world, global village will soon

become a reality. Competition is increasing and job security on the other hand is

reducing. Similarly manpower is being cutback and therefore, burden of work per

person has increased. In such a scenario, managing wide number of activities for the

organization has become inevitable for managers. Alongside, they have to deal with

customers of different preferences from throughout the world, employees coming

from different regions, belonging to different nationalities, they have to follow

regulations of various governments, satisfy shareholders from various countries etc.

Thus now, there has been a integration of different ideologies, philosophies, cultures,

religions and traditions at a single place: “Work Place”!

16

Page 17: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

An individual working in such an environment has to be compatible with it,

has to be flexible enough, understanding and empathetic, and should be able to handle

stress that comes with such a dynamic milieu. Unless an individual is capable of all

this, he can’t perform well. Ultimately, an individual employee’s performance affects

the organization’s performance and this in turn impacts the organisational goals. Thus

an individual should necessarily be emotionally compatible with the job.

At work place, emotional stability has got following implications:

Emotional stability does not mean merely being nice. At strategic moments it may

demand not being nice, but rather for example bluntly confronting someone with an

uncomfortable but consequential truth they are avoiding.

Emotional stability does not mean giving free rein to feelings. Rather it means

managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling

people to work together smoothly toward their common goals.

Emotional stability is not fixed genetically. It seems to be largely learned and

continues to develop throughout the life.

A survey of employers reveals that they are now looking for more ‘emotionally stable

and intelligent people’ rather than ‘extremely intelligent’ people. The employers want

their employees to possess following:

Listening and oral communication.

Adaptability and creative responses to setbacks and obstacles.

Personal management, confidence, motivation to work towards goals, a sense of

wanting to develop one’s career and take pride in its accomplishments.

Group and interpersonal effectiveness, cooperativeness and teamwork, skills at

negotiating disagreements.

Effectiveness in the organization, wanting to make a contribution, leadership

potential.

If this list is followed closely, it is clear that academic excellence has now lesser

importance as compared to the emotional stability and emotional intelligence. Thus,

managers should be necessarily emotionally stable.

Q.7 What personality traits need to be developed by an effective manager?

AND

17

Page 18: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Q.8 Portray some of the personality traits in Indian context.

Personality is a complex, multidimensional construct & there is no simple definition

of what personality is. However we can examine personality in terms of a set of

relatively stable characteristics & tendencies that determine our thoughts, feelings, &

behaviour & which has some continuity or consistency over time.

The word personality, as used in common parlance, has a different meaning than

when used by psychologists. Personality is not external appearances or social images,

but refers to the organised, permanent, subjectively perceived entity, which is at the

heart of all experiences, the internal structure of the individual. It is reflected in the

characteristic patterns of behaviour, responses to external stimuli, the way one affects

others & so on.

In short we can define personality as sum total of an individual consisting:-

- Physical health

- Emotional Stability

- Intellectual ability

- Spiritual connectivity.

One of the ways of studying personality is to locate one's position on a number of

dimensions known as personality traits

Following personality traits has to be followed by an individual to be known as an

effective manager.

Western view of Personality traits:

- Passive personality

- Aggressive Personality

- Manipulative personality

- Assertive personality

In the Indian view, for managers to be effective the theoretical analysis of personality

is not important. Infact, it is important to be aware that there is big range or variety of

personality traits.

18

Page 19: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Apart from possessing the necessary skills & attributes, managers need to develop a

high tolerance for ambiguity. Indian environment is highly volatile in which constant

changes takes place in the in the internal & external environment of the organisation,

& managers need to be able to handle situations as they come, without experiencing

undue stresses. Thus, high tolerance of ambiguity is desired managerial trait.

With the highly competitive scenario, where many MNCs have stared knocking the

Indian market, managers with good mix of achievement, affiliation 7 power needs

will be successful in most situations since they will have the drive to get ahead in

tough situations.

With increasing emphasis on communication, Extrovert managers will fit in their jobs

&managers with internal locus of control will be better performers.

Moreover Indian view of personality being ethical in concept managers with good

ethic values are likely to be effective than those who do not have them.

Thus, Holistic approach of personality from Indian perspective is probably more

complete & enables every manager to be effective without intervention of an external

specialist.

19

Page 20: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Diagram:

20

Page 21: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Q.9 Personality is the product of Heredity and Environment. Explain?

Personality is to man what perfume is to flower -- Charles M.Schwab- Ten

commandents of success.

The word personality has an interesting derivation. It can be traced to the Latin word

"per sona". The Latin term was used to denote the mask, worn by actors in ancient

Greece and Rome. This Latin word is particularly relevant to the contemporary

analysis of personality. Common usage of the word emphasis the role which the

person displays to public.

What Is Personality?

1. A dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person’s whole

psychological system

a) Personality looks at some aggregate whole that is greater than the sum of the

parts.

2. Gordon Allport

a) Personality—the dynamic organization within the individual of those

psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his

environment

3. Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts

with others.

a) It is most often described in terms of measurable traits that a person exhibits.

But the most meaningful would be to include both person and role. So personality is

the characteristic pattern of behaviour (communication skill / ability, good

interpersonal relation, etc) and modes of thinking that determine a person’s

21

Page 22: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

adjustment to the environment. Personality can also be described as how person

affects others.

(Charisma) how an individual understand and views himself and his pattern of inner

and outer measurable traits. In the process of development individual acquires

distinctiveness and uniqueness which gives him identity which enables us to

recognize him apart from others.

So personality is a sum total of different traits, which also includes external

appearance, communication skills, interpersonal relations, sensitivity, emotionality

and intelligence. Every person is in certain aspect.

Personality Determinants

An early argument

Personality was the result of heredity or of environment.

Personality appears to be a result of both influences.

Heredity

1) Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception.

2) The heredity approach argues that the ultimate explanation of an individual’s

personality is the molecular structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes.

3) Three different streams of research lend some credibility to the heredity argument.

(1) The genetic underpinnings of human behavior and temperament

among young children

(a) Evidence demonstrates that traits such as shyness, fear, and

distress are most likely caused by inherited genetic

characteristics.

(2) The study of twins who were separated at birth

22

Page 23: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

(a) Study of more than 100 sets of identical twins separated at birth

and raised separately, but the researchers found a lot in

common

(3) The consistency in job satisfaction over time and across situations

(a) Individual job satisfaction is remarkably stable over time. This

is indicates that satisfaction is determined by something

inherent in the person.

The impact of heredity on personality is very active but still unsettled area of

understanding. The problem is that geneticist’s face a major obstacle is gathering

information scientifically on human beings. Studies of twins, have proved

newsworthy. For example, "Jim Twin " who were identical twins separated at berth,

were both named Jim, by their adopted parents. Both of their first Wife were named

Linda, second Wife Betty, both named their son James Allan, both had dogs named

toy. Both were mediocore student, both suffered heart attack and they both started

getting migraine headache of about the same duration in the same period of their

lives. These cases of similarities of twins raised apart supported the position that

heredity plays a major role in personality. Despite these unusual and interesting cases,

a recent comprehensive review of research found that personality is more affected by

environment than any other areas of human functioning but there are still questions to

be answered. Heredity Vs environment debate is still alive and no definite conclusions

are yet possible. But it is clear that physical attribute are largely attributed to heredity.

Environment

a) Factors that exert pressures on our personality formation

The culture in which we are raised

Early conditioning

Norms among our family

Friends and social groups

b) The environment we are exposed to plays a substantial role in shaping our

personalities.

23

Page 24: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

c) Culture establishes the norms, attitudes, and values passed from one generation to

the next and creates consistencies over time.

Man cannot be separated from his environment. His consciousness is inextricably

linked with his surroundings, physical and social. He adapts himself to his social

environment as well as his physical environment. Both environments affect his

organic and mental development. Neither nature nor nurture is more important

because they are both essential for the development of the human personality. The

basic relativity of nature and nurture cannot be overlooked. Sentience imports for us

to be conscious of something and that something, whether painful, pleasurable, or

indifferent, comes within our experience. Some experiences are agreeable and some

disagreeable; some are of our own seeking and some are thrust upon us. The

character, quality, and trend of such experiences depend upon and are, to a great

extent, determined by our birth, nationality, place, etc. - in short, by heredity and

environment.

By far the most important part of the overall environment of man is the social

environment. It differs from one nation to another, one period to another, one class to

another, and its influences are outside the control of any one individual. The social

system needs to be remodeled such that individual success does not conflict with

communal welfare. This can be achieved by encouraging such social traits as altruism,

readiness to cooperate, sympathetic enthusiasm, and so forth, instead of putting a

premium on many anti-social traits such as egoism, cunning, and insensitivity to

human misery.

All in all, differences among mankind are the outcome of nature and nurture, of

heredity and environment. Some are sharp, some are dull. Nevertheless many

apparently dull persons can be restored to normal intelligence by proper education,

regular exercise of the mind, and facilities for wholesome association. The way to

progress lies in a ceaseless effort to develop our knowledge and intelligence. Such

development is possible only when the mind is kept steady and well-poised.

24

Page 25: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Thus, Heredity sets the parameters or outer limits, but an individual’s full potential

will be determined by how well he or she adjusts to the demands and requirements of

the environment.

Q.10 Distinguish between Role Personality and True Personality.

True personality and Role personality:

There are two types of personality associated with every individual, one is the true

personality and the other is the role personality. The true personality of a person is his

true behavior, his true thinking, his conscience and beliefs, his true mindset etc. it is

that aspect of an individual, which never changes irrespective of the role, he/she

plays. Take for example, a person who is very rigid in his thinking and who is also

very dominant. Such a person’s behavior would not change in whatever kind of

situation or circumstances he/ she is put in. These are the people who are born with a

kind of personality, they live with that kind of a personality and they die with that

kind of a personality. On the other hand there is something known as a role

personality. Every individual has to play a varied number of roles during his/her life

span. He may have to play the role of a son, a grandson, a brother, a friend, a husband,

a student, a father, a manager, a colleague and several other roles. Every role demands

a specific kind of behavior. Having a same behavior in all the roles may be

unacceptable and may be considered odd and vague. No matter what’s the true

personality of an individual is, every individual must be willing to change and adopt

his/her behavior and attitudes along with the role he/she play’s. A true personality

may not be quite different from the role personality, mainly because the role

personality evolves from a true personality. True personality is a source, which guides

a person’s behavior in different roles. We see so many managers, all the managers

perform the jobs which are more or less of the similar nature, such as planning,

organizing, directing, controlling etc, but yet we see no two mangers completely alike.

This is mainly because every person has a unique personality, which is unique only to

him. There may be many people alike, but no two individuals would be the same.

Thus in the case of managers even though their jobs are of the same nature, their true

personalities are different, their approaches of work are different and their personal

25

Page 26: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

characteristics and backgrounds may be different. Every human being is gifted with a

good intellect and it is with the use of this intellect by way of which an individual can

decide what is good or bad for him. Similarly every individual also realizes what kind

of behavior is expected in what role and he tries to behave accordingly. Role

personality is like a dual personality. A person tends to be more acceptable when his

behavior is in accordance with the group he/she belongs to or the role he / she play’s.

Take for example, that in a group of friends if a person tries to play the role of a

father rather than a friend, then his behavior tend to be unacceptable to the group of

friends. Thus every behavior should be in accordance with the role one performs.

Another aspect of one’s personality is that many a times’ people have a different

behavior towards the society and a different behavior at one’s home. The behavior

towards one’s society may many a times be a kind of an artificial behavior, which is

done with an intention to impress others. Such kind of a behavior is extremely

dangerous because a person tends to behave against his true personality and thus

many never derive a sense of satisfaction from his behavior. Thus to conclude we can

say that the personality of an individual is a very complex phenomenon, which needs

to be dealt very carefully.

Q11. Is it possible in today’s world to integrate values and management?

Q12. How far is it important for managers to search for Inner Peace in the midst

of “Hustle & bustle” of corporate life?

Q13. Is business Excellence possible without compromising on integrity, quality

& economy/profitability?

Q14. Analyze the feasibility of appointing an “advisor on ethical matters” in a

business firm?

(And)

Q.15. Critically analyse the benefits of ethical practices in management.

26

Page 27: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

"What is ethics?" Simply put, ethics involves learning what is right or wrong, and

then doing the right thing -- but "the right thing" is not nearly as straightforward as

conveyed in a great deal of business ethics literature.

Values, which guide how we ought to behave, are considered moral values, e.g.,

values such as respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, etc. Statements around how

these values are applied are sometimes called moral or ethical principles.

What is "Business Ethics"? The concept has come to mean various things to various

people, but generally it's coming to know what it right or wrong in the workplace and

doing what's right -- this is in regard to effects of products/services and in

relationships with stakeholders.

Business ethics is now a management discipline. Business ethics has come to be

considered a management discipline, especially since the birth of the social

responsibility movement in the 1960s. In that decade, social awareness movements

raised expectations of businesses to use their massive financial and social influence to

address social problems such as poverty, crime, environmental protection, equal

rights, public health and improving education. An increasing number of people

asserted that because businesses were making a profit from using our country's

resources, these businesses owed it to our country to work to improve society. Many

researchers, business schools and managers have recognized this broader

constituency, and in their planning and operations have replaced the word

"stockholder" with "stakeholder," meaning to include employees, customers, suppliers

and the wider community.

The emergence of business ethics is similar to other management disciplines. For

example, organizations realized that they needed to manage a more positive image to

the public and so the recent discipline of public relations was born. Organizations

realized they needed to better manage their human resources and so the recent

discipline of human resources was born. As commerce became more complicated and

dynamic, organizations realized they needed more guidance to ensure their dealings

supported the common good and did not harm others -- and so business ethics was

born.

27

Page 28: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Note that 90% of business schools now provide some form of training in business

ethics. Today, ethics in the workplace can be managed through use of codes of ethics,

codes of conduct, roles of ethicists and ethics committees, policies and procedures,

procedures to resolve ethical dilemmas, ethics training, etc.

Golden Rule of Ethics

1. Everything you want others to do to you, you shall do to others.

2. Do not do to others that which you do not wish them to do to you.

3. Do not do anything to others that if done to you, would cause harm to you.

These are the basis of all human and moral values. They have universal application.

These are the core values to change oneself first.

A manager and worker with moral and ethical values has a state of mind; equanimity.

Such a person can mobilise his and other’s energy and help accomplish wonders.

Our effectiveness at work is tied to exercising intrinsic human values i.e. moral and

ethical values. These human values support established business values such as

service, communication, excellence, credibility, innovation, creativity, and co-

ordination. The human values help self development.

Managerial functions such as direction, control, supervision and communication,

integration and coordination are much easier. The human values also help good

interpersonal interactions. They reduce conflicts and disputes. They enhance

reputation and goodwill of the organization.

Values and Quality of work life.

Ethics and values must be an important part of management and work culture. Human

harmony and happiness are the main objectives of any enterprise to justify its survival

28

Page 29: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

and progress. Any organization, which cares for its people, should not ignore any

unhealthy development.

Human response Management

People constitute the greatest dynamic inputs in any organization. Development of

people not in skills but also in moral, ethical and spiritual values now becomes the

necessary end itself. Morality and rationality are combined at the same time in HRD.

Value Driven Management.

Ethical and moral values and moral character alone can accelerate the unfolding of

person’s divinity. Such a person will have poise, wisdom, harmony and peace to

manage effectively others and to assure quality of mind as well as enriched quality of

work. Effectiveness in performance of managers and workers is a function of values

and skills together. Values should be an integral part of corporate mission, objectives.

They should be expressly mentioned in the mission document.

Let us note that success of Japan is based on values familiar to Indians, using

spiritual education and practices e.g. concentration, meditation, lectures of spiritual

leaders, mind stilling, intuition etc to neutralize the evil effects of reckless

industralisation and to synthesise the human values into management and

organization. Japan has combined spiritualism and materialism and adopted value

driven holistic approach in management and organization. Let the global management

adopt this.

Few benefits of ethical practices in management:

Ethics programs cultivate strong teamwork and productivity. Ethics programs align

employee behaviors with those top priority ethical values preferred by leaders of the

organization. Usually, an organization finds surprising disparity between its preferred

values and the values actually reflected by behaviors in the workplace. Ongoing

29

Page 30: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

attention and dialogue regarding values in the workplace builds openness, integrity

and community -- critical ingredients of strong teams in the workplace. Employees

feel strong alignment between their values and those of the organization. They react

with strong motivation and performance.

Ethics programs promote a strong public image. Attention to ethics is also strong

public relations -- admittedly, managing ethics should not be done primarily for

reasons of public relations. But, frankly, the fact that an organization regularly gives

attention to its ethics can portray a strong positive to the public. People see those

organizations as valuing people more than profit, as striving to operate with the

utmost of integrity and honor. Aligning behavior with values is critical to effective

marketing and public relations programs. Bob Dunn, President and CEO of San

Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, puts it best: “Ethical values,

consistently applied, are the cornerstones in building a commercially successful and

socially responsible business.”

Overall benefits of ethics: Donaldson and Davis, in “Business Ethics? Yes, But What

Can it Do for the Bottom Line explain that managing ethical values in the workplace

legitimizes managerial actions, strengthens the coherence and balance of the

organization’s culture, improves trust in relationships between individuals and groups,

supports greater consistency in standards and qualities of products, and cultivates

greater sensitivity to the impact of the enterprise’s values and messages.

Last - and most -- formal attention to ethics in the workplace is the right thing to

do.

Q.16. What are hallmarks of a good strategy relating to the establishment of

values? Link this to the recent cases like those of Enron and stock exchange

scams in India.

The Honourable Union Finance Minister, Shri Yashwant Sinha, while inaugurating

the 17th Annual Session of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), stressed the need to

30

Page 31: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

formulate and adhere to a set of strong corporate governance practices. He was

addressing the august audience of leading businesswomen of FICCI on "The

Emerging Need for Corporate Governance".

He said : "Today we need a pragmatic approach rather than a narrow doctrinaire

approach to serve our needs. It is essential that we have high ethical standards of

corporate governance, followed voluntarily, having community sanctions which will

have much more effectiveness. Only then our endeavour at economic reforms and

liberalization will fructify".

Finance Minister exhorted the business leaders to set up examples in corporate

governance of high ethical standards, which will create better value for all the

stakeholders and will lead to growth, which in effect will help the country to fight

poverty and debilitating diseases. This alone, he felt, will enable the Government to

justify the efforts at liberalization and bringing in economic reforms.

Enron, they say, is an example of the ethics of corporations and the free

market. Commentators have told repeatedly that Enron's executives were motivated

by "greed" and "selfishness."

Philosopher Harry Binswanger points out, the premise behind this statement is

that lying, cheating and stealing is the best way to make money and be selfish -- and

the fear of prison is the only disincentive for wholesale fraud and looting. Professor

Binswanger goes on to point out that this statement reflects a whole approach to

morality. To be principled and moral, in this view, means to sacrifice one's interests

by, say, going into social work or taking a vow of poverty. The logical flip-side is that

to be self-interested, to pursue wealth and happiness -- well, that requires no

principles or morality at all, just a random, range-of-the-moment grab for whatever

one can get one's hands on.

This is the predominant moral outlook today, especially on the left. Ironically,

Enron seems to have implemented this view of morality to a T. To enrich themselves,

Enron's executives lied to shareholders and cooked the books to produce fake profits,

ignoring the company's long-term financial problems. The joke was on them, though,

because it didn't work. They didn't make money; instead, they bankrupted their

company and destroyed their own reputations. And they don't seem to have profited

even in the short term.

31

Page 32: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

A social institution, including a corporate entity, derives its legitimacy from its

ability and desire to fulfill social needs. It is therefore, accountable to the society. No

institution, however high and mighty it is, can ignore its responsibility towards the

society from which it derives its strength and sustenance.

The recurring financial crises and the scams that rocked the nation in the

recent past call for a sharper focus on corporate governance. The only way we can

protect our interest and also those of the public at large is to build "firewalls" by

putting in place the practices of good corporate governance.Corporate Governance

has succeeded in attracting a good deal of public interest because of its importance for

the economic health of corporations and the welfare of society.

According the Economist and Noble laureate Milton Friedman, Corporate

Governance is to conduct the business in accordance with owner or shareholders’

desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible, while

conforming to the basic rules of the society embodied in law and local customs. This

definition is based on the economic concept of market value maximization that

underpins shareholder capitalism. Over a period of time the definition of Corporate

Governance has been widened. It now encompasses the interests of not only the

shareholders but also many stakeholders. J. Wolfensohn, President, World Bank as

saying that "Corporate Governance is about promoting corporate fairness,

transparency and accountability".

Corporate governance also includes in its ambit, the manner in which their boards of

directors govern the business and affairs of individual institutions and their functional

relationship with senior management.

Corporate governance is determined by how Organizations:

• Set corporate objectives (including generating economic returns to owners);

• Run the day-to-day operations of the business and;

• Consider the interests of recognised stakeholders i.e. employees, customers,

suppliers, supervisors, governments and the community and

• Align corporate activities and behaviours with the expectation that

organizations will operate in a safe and sound manner, and in compliance with

applicable laws and regulations.

32

Page 33: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

sound corporate governance should have, as its basis, the following strategies and

techniques:

• The corporate values, codes of conduct and other standards of appropriate

behaviour and the system used to ensure compliance with them;

• A well-articulated corporate strategy against which the success of the overall

enterprise and the contribution of individuals can be measured;

• The clear assignment of responsibilities and decision-making authorities,

incorporating an hierarchy of required approvals from individuals to the board

of directors;

• Establishment of a mechanism for the interaction and cooperation among the

board of directors, senior management and the auditors;

• Strong internal control systems, including internal and external audit

functions, risk management functions independent of business lines, and other

checks and balances;

• Special monitoring of risk exposures where conflicts of interest are likely to be

particularly great, including business relationships with borrowers affiliated

with the bank, large shareholders, senior management, or key decision-makers

within the firm (e.g. traders);

• The financial and managerial incentives to act in an appropriate manner

offered to senior management, business line management and employees in

the form of compensation, promotion and other recognition; and

• Appropriate information flows internally and to the public.

For ensuring good corporate governance, the importance of overseeing the various

aspects of the corporate functioning needs to be properly understood, appreciated and

implemented.

Ethics and values in corporate governance

No discussion on public affairs will be complete without a reference to Ethics

and Values. The quality of corporate governance is also determined by the manner in

which top management, particularly the Board of Directors, allocates the financial

resources of the company as between themselves and other interest groups such as

employees, customers, government etc. The basic qualities invariably expected in this

regard are trust, honesty, integrity, transparency and compliance with the laws of the

33

Page 34: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

land. There is an increasing body of public opinion that would expect a business

enterprise not only to be a mere economic unit but also to be a good corporate citizen.

For this, its corporate governance must be based on a genuine respect for Business

Ethics and Values.

To quote the words of Benjamin Franklin

" A little neglect may breed great mischief… for the want of a nail, the shoe was lost;

for the want of a shoe, the horse was lost and for want of a horse, the rider was lost

and for want of a rider the war was lost"

Little drops of water make the mighty ocean. Little acts of neglect might cause

major scams. It takes only a small hole to drown a big ship. Therein lies the secret of

good corporate governance and the key to Corporate Excellence.

Q.17 Make a comparative study of values system practiced in Japan, China and

America.

Value systems in Japan, China and America differ as follows:

A Japanese employee remains in a single organization, once he joins it.

Actually, this happens because, in Japan, job security is valued most. On the other

hand, in China, hire-fire policy works on rampant scale. Major sectors have state-

owned players. China practises communism, hence equitable wages exist everywhere.

Job-hopping is virtually non-existent because of similar opportunities. In America,

job-hopping has become obvious. Employees keep on changing jobs in search of

better avenues.

In Japan, workers play important role in decision-making, as in they are

considered as owners of the organization. They practice various concepts like quality

circles and help organization towards achievement of goals. Usually group-incentive

schemes are common practice in the Japan. In China, state is the owner of all the

channels of production. Employees have got nothing to do with the decision-making

process. In the US, capitalism has resulted into private ownership. Employees are a

part of decision-making process, but usually through individual incentive scheme.

Japanese believe in ‘Keiretsu’, the long-term relationships with their

stakeholders, their suppliers. It is because of their social attachment that they

collectively achieve success. In China, government maintains relationships with the

stakeholders as per its communist ideology, while in the US, relationships exist on

34

Page 35: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

professional level, and suppliers are selected on the basis of cost-effectiveness and are

changed for better bargains.

The above were some of the differences in Japanese, Chinese and American

ideologies.

Q.18 Short Notes

a) Harmony with Environment.

With the help of YOGA, meditation man (manager) tries to purify himself within,

tries to eliminate dust of anxieties, stress, depression from his mind and tries to

achieve tranquility so that he can work in present and with more concentration and

achieve his targets efficiently. Thus practicing these activities he truly and only

concentrates on his body and his work, but at the same time man cannot ignore the

environment he is living in. As he concentrates on himself to realize his targets, he

has to get harmonize with the environment for the same. He has to get adjust with

the people around him, his family, his home, his office environment, his boss,

subordinates, nature around etc. So that it would have positive impact on his

actions, his mind, ideas will flourish in harmonized environment. He could also

maintain healthy and natural lifestyle. Locating and shaping spaces in harmony

with both the physical and the spiritual environment is required to empower the

harmonious interaction between person and place. Harmonizing with environment

will result into getting along with people, so that managers will not face any

oppositions in his work, and thus will not get any pressures, depression, stress,

jealousy, anxiety, overwork which are route cause of all negative happenings.

b) Self Control

Self-control is the ability to make choices about how one behaves and acts rather than

relying on impulses. Instead of acting on instinct or immediate impulse, individuals -

with self-control pause and evaluate a situation and the consequences that may result

from their behavior.

35

Page 36: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could control your behavior? You'd avoid over-

eating, alcoholism, all bad habits, procrastination, being late, impulsive comments and

purchases, sinful behavior, misplaced objects and papers, rushing at the last minute,

etc. Instead, you'd have good health, a beautifully exercised body, excellent work

habits, an organized life, success, good social graces, good mental health, healthy

attitudes, and practically a guarantee of getting into heaven.

The truth is: you can't control all your behavior. We are all a little out of control.

Some of us are seriously out of control. For example, some of us are ruining our lives

and/or killing ourselves with food, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, careless driving and

other ways. Some of us are blowing off our school work or our jobs but still

believing, even though it is very unrealistic, that we will "be successful." Some of us

can't get or hold a job, or hold on to love, or properly care for our children, or manage

a home and pay our debts. There is an enormous difference between the people who

are out of control and those in control. It is important to understand the causes of

behavior and how to change it. We could all gain better control.

Thus,

Self-control is a set of behaviors which:

1.Accepts the reality that the only thing in life which you can successfully change and

control is yourself.

2.Keeps in check all self-destructive, addictive, obsessive, compulsive, irrational, and

unacceptable behaviors.

3.Gives you a sense of personal mastery, autonomy, and competency over your own

life.

4.Is under your control and power to direct and orchestrate with no need for

interference or manipulation from others.

5.Makes you the master of your own destiny because it keeps in check those barriers

and obstacles which are a threat to your overall success in life.

6.Is a middle ground between perfectionism and laxity in self care.

7.Results in your life having a balance and focus by helping you to cope with new

challenges in life as they come.

8.Helps you to keep your over-emotional responses in check or moderation.

36

Page 37: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

9.Helps you to open yourself up from nonfeeling or pulled-in emotions so that you

can have a healthy emotional life.

10.Is the foundation for healthy coping and contributes to your accepting personal

responsibility for your life.

11.Keeps your life in moderation, helping you to avoid extremes in any direction.

12.Is the focus of the efforts to let go of the uncontrollables and unchangeables in

your life so that you can concentrate on yourself.

13.Eliminates the need for you to be manipulative, helpless, fixing others,

intimidating, overdependent or a caretaker of others.

14.Helps you to be detached from others and to keep your relationships in a healthy

balance of give and take.

15.Reflects your inner desire to grow up into a mature, responsible adult.

If you don't have the capacity to change yourself and your attitudes, then nothing

around you can be changed.

-The Koran

Negative Effects of not gaining self control

§ Suffer the negative impact of your out of control behaviors such as alcoholism,

chemical dependency, overeating, compulsive sex, addictive relationships,

compulsive shopping, gambling, smoking, etc.

§ Become deeply depressed and despondent over your weakness and inability to get

your life into "check'' or 'balance.''

§ End up convinced that there is no way you can get your life into balance because the

amount of work, effort, energy, and resources needed are too great an investment just

for you when there are so many other people, places, and things on which you could

better focus attention.

§ Experience even lower self-esteem because of your inability to believe enough in

your worth and value to take action to get your life into control.

37

Page 38: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

§ Find it impossible to become detached from people, places, or things who are toxic

or unhealthy for you.

c) Dharma, Swadharma and Detachment

DHARMA Dharma is the law of right living, the observance of which secures the

double object of happiness in your own life and also the happiness in others life. It

stands for all those ideals, purposes, influences, institutions, and the ways of life and

conduct that shape the character and evolution of man both as an individual and as a

member of the society. The openly spirit, righteousness (godliness), and fearlessness

are the three divine elements of Dharma given explained below:

Dharma is spirit (or evolves from spirit) in Indian ethos. The inclusion of dharma is

like rediscovering a vacant upstair room in one’s heat chamber. ‘Do right thing

(‘Dharman Chara), do good, be good and the whole chamber of our heart shines with

Light of Consciousness’. In dharma, not mere action but rightness is given great

emphasis.

Dharma stresses fearlessness. Divine touch is enough to convert difficulties into

opportunities. Of course one should know the truth about oneself. Dharma is the

‘inner law of one’s life’, the moment we are unconscious or ignore that inner law, our

life is paralyzed. We feel isolated. Our degeneration is sure. No wonder we feel

missing and incomplete. Dharma is ethics and spirituality combined. Follow your

Dharma and it will protect you or stand by you. One has to comply with his own

Dharma. Nobody has ever violated Dharma without ultimately courting disaster. Each

one has his/ her own dharma.

Dharma Of Management/ Organization

Each organization and management is considered by Indian ethos as a living entity,

having heart, soul and Dharma. The traits of dharma or integrity, e.g. Courage, self

discipline, goodness, righteousness and all other essential and ethical values constitute

the character of management / organization just as they are of the individual character.

They must follow their own dharma (collective heart/soul), otherwise pay the price. A

soul less company has no life. The spirit is the root or ultimate source of all values

and character, which are the invaluable assets of the credibility and goodwill of

individuals, organization and management.

38

Page 39: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

SWADHARMA: Gita emphasizes that Swadharma (one’s duty based on one’s

swabhava – inclination and aptitude – on the work that falls to one’s lot by virtue of

one’s placement in society) should be carried on for the general welfare of society and

as worship of Divine, as our offering to god. This call to work in the true Yajna spirit

is an exhortation to support and actively co-operate in the Divine’s evolutionary

design and to live with the mother earth, safeguarding her grand ecological balance.

Results are an inevitable consequence of wrong Karma.

DETACHMENT:

Detachment is the:

Ability to allow people, places, or things the freedom to be themselves. Giving

another person "the space'' to be him or herself. Disengaging from an over-enmeshed

or dependent relationship with people. Willingness to accept that you cannot change

or control a person, place, or thing. Developing and maintaining of a safe, emotional

distance from someone whom you have previously given a lot of power to affect your

emotional outlook on life. Ability to maintain an emotional bond of love, concern,

and caring without the negative results of rescuing, enabling, fixing, or controlling.

Ability to exercise emotional self-protection and prevention so as not to experience

greater emotional devastation from having hung on beyond a reasonable and rational

point. Ability to allow people to be who they "really are'' rather than who you "want

them to be.'' Ability to avoid being hurt, abused, taken advantage of by people who in

the past have been overly dependent or enmeshed with you.

What are the negative effects not detaching?

If you are unable to detach from people, places, or things, then you:

Will have people, places, or things which become over-dependent on you. Run the

risk of being manipulated to do things for people, at places, or with things, which you

do not really want to do. Can become an obsessive ``fix it'' who needs to fix

everything you perceive to be imperfect.

Will most probably become powerless in the face of the demands of the people,

places, or things whom you have given the power to control you. Will be blind to the

reality that the people, places, or things, which control you, are the uncontrollable and

unchangeable you need to let go of if you are to become a fully healthy, coping

39

Page 40: Indian management thoughts and practice q n a format

Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

individual. Might become caught up with your idealistic need to make everything

perfect for people, places, or things important to you even if it means your own life

becomes unhealthy. Run the risk of becoming out of control of yourself and

experience greater low self-esteem as a result. Run the risk of losing your autonomy

and independence and derive your value or worth solely from the unhealthy

relationship you continue in with the unhealthy person, place, or thing.

d) Holistic approach to personality

Ancient Greek and Indian wisdom and insight considered the human individual, a

unique living entity having self-consciousness and human self a complex of body,

mind, heart, intellect and spirit or soul. We have to pay equal attention to all the

aspects of human personality and consider him as a whole or complete being, having

practically unlimited potential energy and power to develop himself and acquire

perfection so that he can enjoy all round internal and external harmony and progress.

This is called holistic approach in self management and management of any

enterprise as well.

e) Corporate Values

40